Dragon Ball Super Just Basically Guaranteed Frieza's Return

While the latest Dragon Ball Super arc has invoked Frieza, his associates, and his actions many times so far, the interstellar tyrant has yet to make a return appearance to the manga. The newest chapter hasn't changed that yet, but it has made it clear that this arc won't be ending without an appearance from the fan-favorite villain.

As one of the most iconic characters to come out of Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is a character that the franchise has to handle carefully. He's made a return from the dead once before, in the film Resurrection F, and then again for Super's Tournament of Power arc, where he was forced to fight alongside Goku for the chance to return to life. As a result of that, Frieza is alive and well, rebuilding his forces (as seen in the Broly film) and reestablishing himself as a force to be reckoned with.

Forty years ago, and likely for a long time before that, the Heeters worked with Frieza and his various assault forces (including Great Ape Saiyans) to clear populations off of planets and sell them for a profit. When Frieza died about fifteen years ago (in series canon), the Heeters took over a lot of his old business, but his revival following the Tournament started causing them problems. While it first appeared they wanted to work with the bounty hunter Granolah to defeat Frieza, this seemed to be a ruse - they merely wanted to trick him into going on a suicide mission. But the Heeters' desire to take down Frieza is very real, and it's the reason they came to Planet Cereal and used its Dragon Balls on Gas. Goku, Vegeta, and even Granolah are merely annoyances that have sprung up along the way.

Since it's known from Granolah that unlocking this power through the Dragon Balls will greatly shorten one's lifespan, the Heeters will need to make a move against Frieza soon (provided Gas survives his current battle.) While Frieza has had several name drops so far, this is definitely the most significant, since it puts a ticking clock into play for the villains. Defeating Frieza remains a goal for Granolah as well, so this arc may come down to a three-way battle between the heroes, the Heeters, and the Frieza Force.

If Frieza is to make a reappearance, he'll need to have a few new tricks up his sleeve, as Goku and Vegeta are significantly stronger than even during the Tournament of Power. The Broly film teased the idea of Frieza using the fusion technique, and this is the first opportunity to put that to work. Regardless of exactly how he's changed, it's fair to guess that fans can expect Frieza's dramatic return to Dragon Ball Super in the coming months.